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The Root of Evil
The Root of Evil, H. 14, is a 2014 epic silent film written and directed by Ryan Alexander Huang. It is the first full-length feature film produced by Flaming Gnome Studios. The film's plot takes place after the events of its predecessor, The Elixir of Doom. ''Agents Boroshlav and Chanson are joined by ex-convict Montresor as they pursue Alfred Kensington, a disgraced scientist with vengeful designs. Actors Ryan Alexander Huang, Maureen Gleason, Joshua Dub, and D.J. Chatelaine reprise their original roles. Joining the large ensemble cast are Thomas Donlon, Jackson Anderson, Albert Rysavy, Luke Owens, Jacob Hellevik, Jillian Stout, Joseph Nelson, Haaken Bungum, and Eric Schlicker. In August of 2014, ''The Root of Evil ''was cut into an alternate short film/featurette version with a modified plot. The short had its debut at the 2014 Catalina Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Student Film. ''The Root of Evil ''has been met with critical acclaim at eleven international film festivals, receiving a total of fourteen official selection laurels and ten awards and honors. A sequel, ''The Dead Agent's Nocturne, is currently being written as a novella. Plot Agent Viktor Boroshlav (Ryan Alexander Huang) investigates a seemingly routine case: suspected homicide in the middle of a busy train station. Upon closer inspection, the agent finds a wine bottle filled with kerosene propellant near the corpse--a distinctive calling card of Jean Montresor (Joshua Dub), Boroshlav's former nemesis. Montresor insists upon his own innocence, but admits to his plans for revenge against Alfred Kensington (Thomas Donlon), a former colleague he suspects of killing his brother (Joseph Nelson). Montresor further postulates that Kensington committed the train station murder in order to frame Montresor. Boroshlav sees reason in this theory and invites the rehabillitated convict to assist in the case against Kensington. Boroshlav and Montresor narrowly escape an assassination attempt by De Grave (D.J. Chatelaine) and Nuskinheimer (Eric Schlicker), Kensington's new cronies. They reunite with Agent Chanson (Maureen Gleason) in Boroshlav's safe house. Montresor reveals a puzzling development: an anonymous entrepreneur--ostensibly Kensington--has bought out every ginseng importer in Europe. The safe house suddenly comes under attack by De Grave, Nuskinheimer, and a group of American gangsters overseeing Kensington's ginseng imports. In the ensuing firefight, Chanson is captured by O'Malley (Albert Rysavy), Scarpelli (Luke Owens), and McGurn (Jacob Hellevik). After the kidnapping, Boroshlav is paid an unexpected visit by Zoltan, his former partner and Chanson's old love interest. The meeting is tense, as memories of the love triangle between Boroshlav, Chanson, and Zoltan still remain painfully fresh. Despite Boroshlav's mistrust, he reluctantly grants Zoltan the opportunity to help rescue Chanson. Meanwhile, Kensington confers with his mistress and accomplice Katzenhaft (Jillian Stout). Kensington instructs Katzenhaft to interrogate Chanson until she reveals Montresor's location; the villainous scientist is intent on wiping away all of his former colleagues and detractors. Kensington departs to meet with Boroshlav at a fencing parlor on the pretext of a duel. He brazenly accepts Boroshlav's proposed wager: all the contents of Kensington's pocket. Before the duel, Kensington reveals his plan to Boroshlav. Utilizing his newfound ginseng resources, Kensington plans to covertly spread a botanical poison to infect the populace. He will then emerge with a prepared cure to his own ailment, thus saving thousands and gaining the respect he had always sought. Boroshlav, horrified by the twisted scheme, vows to stop Kensington as they cross swords. Back at the safe house, Montresor recounts the day that his brother Jean-Claude was killed. Knee-deep in an investigation against Kensington, Jean-Claude was en route to meet Kensington's old tutor. Before his death, Jean-Claude passed a note to Montresor with the elusive professor's address scribbled on the back. Boroshlav visits the address and finds a slightly crazed Dr. Philip Loong (Haaken Bungum). Loong reveals that Kensington's proposed cure is in fact a slightly modified version of Loong's own prototype, which proved to be an abject failure. With this revelation, Boroshlav pursues the criminal mastermind with added haste. After hours of interrogation, Katzenhaft reveals that Chanson is to be the first test subject of Kensington's poison and cure. Katzenhaft leaves briefly to await further orders from Kensington. Chanson escapes during her absence. Boroshlav and Montresor are simultaneously contacted by Kensington, who is now holding Dr. Loong hostage at the top of Demjansk Ridge. They helplessly watch as Dr. Loong is seemingly executed by Kensington's goons and escape after a prolonged chase through the forest. A weary Boroshlav returns to the safe house. Shortly after, Chanson reappears with Zoltan. After a tense confrontation, Boroshlav agrees to make amends with his former friend. The two leave for the bar. A playful drinking contest overrides the initial awkwardness, and the two agents reconcile with each other. The bar soon comes under fire from a large force of gangsters, and Zoltan sacrifices himself to facilitate Boroshlav's escape. A new rift emerges between Boroshlav and a guilt-ridden Chanson, who blames Boroshlav for failing to save Zoltan. Intent on revenge, Chanson infiltrates Kensington's hideout and kills Katzenhaft. Kensington angrily orders O'Malley and McGurn to return to Boroshlav's safe house, instructing them to kill Boroshlav, Montresor, and Chanson. The gangsters bristle at the brutal orders, but are forced into action by Kensington at gunpoint. The tables soon turn as Boroshlav springs a trap, disarming the gangsters and provoking a standoff. Scarpelli emerges to diffuse the tension. He produces a telegram sent to him by Boroshlav: it is the same scrap of paper that Boroshlav obtained in his duel against Kensington. The telegram, signed by Kensington, instructs De Grave to assassinate the gangsters after the ginseng deliveries are complete. After agreeing to halt the ginseng shipments, O'Malley, McGurn, and Scarpelli depart to settle the score with De Grave. Boroshlav confronts a defeated Kensington at his home. Unfazed by the agent's fiery demands of surrender, Kensington reiterates his lifelong ambition to achieve the respect that was never awarded to him. Before Boroshlav can intervene, Kensington drinks a bottle of gin laced with poison. Montresor brings Boroshlav and Chanson to a nightclub for a celebratory dinner. Both agents refuse to speak to each other after the events of Zoltan's death. A sentimental waltz is played by the club orchestra, and Boroshlav invites Chanson to dance. Overcome with emotion, Chanson leaves Boroshlav halfway through the waltz. The next day, Boroshlav watches as Chanson prepares to depart from the train depot. Boroshlav painfully decides against stopping her, and she disappears into the crowd. The agent is left alone as he walks through the empty station. Plot (Short Film Version) Note: Numerous plot differences exist between the feature version and the short version. '' ''The events of the short version are considered non-canon.' '' The film opens with the sight of an unknown man lying dead in the snow. He appears to have been murdered. Agent Boroshlav (Huang), clad in fencing gear, is seen meeting with Kensington (Donlon). Boroshlav inquires as to whether the latest murder of Jean-Claude (Nelson), the dead man seen in the beginning of the film, is Kensington's doing. It is revealed that Kensington is a powerful criminal who has used his influence to draw corrupt government agents to his cause. Boroshlav and his partner, Agent Chanson (Gleason), are the lone holdouts. Boroshlav rejects Kensington's offer to join his racket, and the criminal threatens to take Chanson by force. Corrupt agents O'Malley (Rysavy), Scarpelli (Owens), and McGurn (Hellevik) arrive at Chanson's residence. After a pitched gun battle, Chanson is overwhelmed and taken by her attackers. Boroshlav is visited by his former associate Agent Zoltan (Anderson) after Chanson's capture. Zoltan, who originally cooperated with Kensington's corruption racket, explains that he regrets his decision and intends to help Boroshlav rescue Chanson. Reluctantly, Boroshlav agrees to let Zoltan use his influence in Kensington's circle to free Chanson. While Zoltan returns to Kensington's base of operations, Boroshlav investigates the murder of Jean-Claude. Upon inquiry, he discovers that Montresor (Dub), Jean-Claude's brother and sole living relative, has fled the country. Chanson reappears with Zoltan. After a tense confrontation, Boroshlav agrees to take Zoltan to their favorite bar to make amends. Kensington, livid over Zoltan's betrayal and Chanson's escape, orders O'Malley and McGurn to kill their former partner. When they refuse to do so, Kensington threatens them at gunpoint. They reluctantly agree to ambush Zoltan at the bar. Boroshlav and Zoltan arrive. A playful drinking contest overrides the intiall awkwardness, and the two agents reconcile with each other. The bar soon comes under fire from a large force of gangsters, and Zoltan sacrifices himself to facilitate Boroshlav's escape. A new rift emerges between Boroshlav and a guilt-ridden Chanson, who blames Boroshlav for failing to save Zoltan. She leaves in anger. Boroshlav is visited by Montresor, who has come out of hiding. He reveals that his brother was killed because of his bold investigations into Kensington's corrupt activities. Montresor produces a postcard given to him from his brother; the location of Kensington's hideout is written on it. Upon arriving at the address, Boroshlav finds a defeated Kensington. The criminal concedes that the corrupt agents under his employ have turned themselves in, leaving him without allies. Boroshlav places the still-defiant Kensington under arrest. The next day, Boroshlav watches as Chanson prepares to depart from the train depot. Boroshlav painfully decides against stopping her, and she disappears into the crowd. The agent is left alone as he walks through the empty station. Cast *Ryan Alexander Huang as Viktor Boroshlav, field agent and main protagonist of the film. *Maureen Gleason as Emmanuelle Chanson, Boroshlav's fellow agent and primary love interest. *Thomas Donlon as Alfred Kensington, disgruntled scientist and primary antagonist of the film. *Joshua Dub as Montresor, a rehabillitated criminal who harbors his own personal vendetta against Kensington. He aids Boroshlav in bringing the villain to justice. In the non-canon short film version, Montresor is an informant who initially flees the country after his brother's murder. *Jackson Anderson as Zoltán, Boroshlav's former friend and Chanson's former love interest. *Albert Rysavy as O'Malley, the leader of the American gangsters dispatched to oversee Kensington's ginseng imports. Like his two colleagues, O'Malley is continually at odds with Kensington's ruthless nature. In the short film version, O'Malley appears as a government agent working for Kensington. *Luke Owens as Scarpelli, the primary gunner and second-in-command of the American clique. After the killing of Zoltan, Scarpelli begins to harbor resentment towards Kensington's utilization of the gangsters as a personal hit squad. In the short film version, Scarpelli is another government agent working for Kensington. *Jacob Hellevik as McGurn, O'Malley's adjutant. *D.J. Chatelaine as De Grave, Kensington's new chief henchman. He formerly served under Montresor in ''The Elixir of Doom. '' *Jillian Stout as Katzenhaft, Kensingon's mistress and accomplice. * *Joseph Nelson as Jean-Claude Montresor, Montresor's older brother who led an investigation into Kensington's activities before his death. *Haaken Bungum as Dr. Philip Loong, an elderly recluse who gave Kensington instruction in botanical chemistry. * *Eric Schlicker as Felix Nuskinheimer, De Grave's edged-weapon-toting subordinate. *Logan Johnson as the Johnny Torrio, the bartender. *Josh Weisenburger as Herrmann, the railway attendant. * *Quinn Reinhard as the Rina, the nightclub singer. * *Ethan Pick as the nightclub Maitre'd. * *Thomas Borgerding as the nightclub waiter. * '''* does not appear in short film version Production Development and pre-production Work on the story and screenplay for The Root of Evil ''began soon after the premiere of ''The Elixir of Doom on August 1st, 2012. Ryan Alexander Huang, Maureen Gleason, Joshua Dub, and D.J. Chatelaine were immediately signed to reprise their original roles, with newcomers Andrew Malo and Jillian Stout attached to star as the main villains. Friends of the Elixir ''cast were later invited to a special screening of the film on December 16th, where Huang officially announced the premise of its sequel and recruited actors to fill out the main cast. Thomas Donlon signed on as Felix Nuskinheimer, Miles Mulet as Zoltán, Jackie Warehime and Maria Versteeg as femme-fatale duo Evette and Maurelle, and Joseph Nelson, Eric Schlicker, Albert Rysavy, and Jacob Hellevik in unspecified roles. Recasting would prove necessary due to scheduling conflicts. Thomas Donlon replaced Andrew Malo as main antagonist Alfred Kensington before filming began, with Eric Schlicker succeeding Donlon as Nuskinheimer. Jackson Anderson would later replace Miles Mulet as Zoltán, though Mulet had already filmed scenes as Zoltán in an early version of the bar scene that was later rewritten. Huang has stated that a full script was never actually completed throughout the duration of production. As word of mouth gradually increased interest in the film throughout Huang's high school class, it became necessary to add new characters and plot points after principal photography had begun. To this day, no screenplay resembling the film in its completed state exists. Principal photography Due to the difficulty of coordinating the schedules of its all-high school student cast, ''The Root of Evil ''was shot over the course of nearly two years. Filming was done on an irregular schedule over this period of time based upon the changing seasons and availability of the actors and locations. In some cases, such as the gangster street shootout, shots from the same scene were taken as much as one year apart from each other. The first scene filmed (Boroshlav's confrontation of Montresor) was shot on December 27th, 2012, and the last scene to be completed (Boroshlav's fencing duel with Kensington) was shot on May 27th, 2014. The hectic nature of high school activities often necessitated a great deal of improvisation on the part of the cast and crew. The scene in which Boroshlav consults Dr. Loong, in particular, was notably written by Huang 30 minutes before it was shot due to time constraints. Editing, which had been done piecemeal ever since the filming of the Demyansk Ridge scene on New Year's Day of 2013, was completed on May 30th, 2014. The film premiered two days later. Locations '''St. Paul Union Depot: '''A historic train station dating from 1923, Union Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. Shooting was completed in the newly-renovated main concourse on May 19, 2013. * Train station; first and last scenes of the film '''Farmhouse and quonset in Havana Township' * Boroshlav's office * Jean-Claude Montresor's bedroom * Montresor's warehouse Owatonna Senior High School * Montresor's wine cellar (first scene filmed) * Government building exterior; Jean-Claude's death scene Daniel C. Gainey Conference Center: A large conference center built in the style of a classic country estate. The compound's exterior was prominently featured in The Elixir of Doom. Shortly after The Root of Evil ''was filmed, the property was sold off by the University of St. Thomas and is no longer accessible to the public. * Kensington's study * Dr. Loong's home '''Agnes Street, Owatonna' * Gangster assault on Boroshlav's home, Chanson's kidnapping West Hills Fitness Center * Boroshlav's duel with Kensington Masonic Lodge, Waseca * Dungeon * Boroshlav's house (interior and exterior) * Kensington's room Brooktree Golf Course, Owatonna * Winter standoff on Demyansk Ridge Kaplan's Woods, Owatonna * Forest chase scene Torey's Restaurant and Bar * Bar shootout, Zoltán's death Owatonna Art Center * Ballroom/nightclub Music ... Trivia and referenced works * The Root of Evil ''was conceived as a silent film primarily due to the studio's former lack of professional sound equipment. * Approximately half of the film was shot on the two then-antiquated camcorders, the Panasonic TM90 and Canon XHA1. Scenes shot later in the production (such as the Boroshlav's office scenes, the fencing duel, the ballroom scene, and the final iteration of the bar shootout) were filmed on the Blackmagic Production Camera and the Canon XA20 camcorder. * The snow scene on Demyansk Ridge was filmed on New Year's Day of 2013, when the air temperature was below zero and winds gusted at over 10 miles per hour. * The blood effects from Jean-Claude's death scene were achieved by pouring red Hawaiian Punch on the surrounding snow. Similarly, chocolate syrup was used for the "blood" seeping from Zoltán's mouth before his death. * An early version of the bar scene featuring Evette and Maurelle (played by Jackie Warehime and Maria Versteeg) was eventually omitted due to stunt-related logistical issues. Huang has stated that the original version may be released along with other deleted scenes in a future special edition of ''The Root of Evil. ''Warehime and Versteeg appear as nightclub patrons in the final cut of the film. * In the early version of the bar scene, Scarpelli (portrayed by Luke Owens and then an unnamed gunman) is killed by Boroshlav. Huang later rewrote the scene and greatly expanded Scarpelli's role in the film's plot. * Like its predecessor ''The Elixir of Doom, The Root of Evil ''pays several homages to the 2011 film ''The Artist ''as well as Edgar Alan Poe's short story ''The Cask of Amontillado. '' * Stylistic nods to Wes Anderson films, particularly ''The Grand Budapest Hotel, ''are occasionally employed in the cinematography through symmetrical framing, whip pans, and fast zooms. Release Two days after post-production was completed, a private advance screening of ''The Root of Evil ''was held on June 1, 2014 for the cast and crew at the historic Heights Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. An awards ceremony emceed by Pranshu Parmar was held after the screening to commemorate exceptional performances in the film. ''The Root of Evil ''was set for a public premiere in the auditorium of Owatonna High School on June 6, 2014. Two days before the screening date, a fire broke out in the high school auditorium and forced its evacuation and eventual renovation. ''The Root of Evil ''instead held its first public premiere at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna. Combined with a second screening at the CEC Northwoods Cinema 10, ''The Root of Evil ''drew more than 300 audience members during its debut. Reception Accolades Since July 2014, ''The Root of Evil ''has received a total of fourteen official selection laurels and ten awards and honors from festivals such as the Colorado Film Festival, the Indie Fest, and the Accolade Global Film Competition. The film had its West Coast Premiere at the 2014 Catalina Film Festival, where it took home the Award for Best Student Film. ''The Root of Evil ''also recieved an Honorable Mention at the ITSA Film Festival in California, as well as the Gold Award at the Fort Lauderdale International High School Competition. It brought home the Golden Coyote Paw for Best Student Film - Under 18 at the 2015 Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema. Additionally, ''The Root of Evil ''was selected as a featured film and closed the 2015 Voyager Student Film Festival at Duke University. Sequel and future In November 2014, director Ryan Alexander Huang hinted at a possible sequel to ''The Root of Evil, ''with as many original cast members reprising their roles as possible. "This is a tricky notion," Huang said, "since both Zoltán and Kensington, who were particularly well-received by the audience, apparently perish by the end of ''The Root of Evil. ''Perhaps a prequel or extended flashback may be in order." In March 2016, Huang began writing the planned sequel as a novella. Initially titled ''Pavane for a Dead Agent, ''the name was later changed to ''Dead Agent's Nocturne ''in September 2017 to avoid confusion with another feature film currently in development, ''Pavane for a Dead Princess. The sequel takes place roughly seven months after the events of Root ''and is to be the second in a planned trilogy, Huang explained: "While ''Nocturne ''is being written from scratch, I will be writing a novelization of ''The Root of Evil ''that will expand on backstories, plot points, and supporting characters that couldn't be included in the film version. The third and final book, ''The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, ''will round out the trilogy. My hope is to eventually adapt the second and third books into screenplays and film them with original cast members from ''Root. In 2019, a short promotional video was released showcasing Flaming Gnome Studios projects made over the past five years. Several sequences from The Root of Evil ''are featured. ''The promo is notable for a brief segment in which Viktor Boroshlav (Ryan Alexander Huang, reprising his role for the first time since 2014) is heard paraphrasing a line originally delivered by Alfred Kensington in the movie — the only occurrence to date in which any piece of dialogue has been heard spoken by a character from the 2014 silent film. Category:Films